Mathematical Formulas in Poetry: The Influence of OuLiPo and the N+7 Method

In modern literary history, mathematics and poetry—two fields often seen as opposites—have come together in fascinating ways through the use of mathematical formulas as poetic constraints. These constraints, rather than limiting creativity, actually expand it by challenging poets to think differently about language and structure. One of the most famous and influential movements dedicated to this exploration is OuLiPo, an acronym for Ouvroir de Littérature Potentielle, or Workshop of Potential Literature. Officially established on February 13, 1961, in Europe, OuLiPo brought together writers and mathematicians who shared the goal of exploring alternative forms of literature, using logic, formulas, and numbers as creative tools rather than rigid boundaries.

The members of OuLiPo believed that structure breeds potential. By giving a poem mathematical or linguistic rules, they sought to uncover new possibilities in language—patterns that might not appear through free expression alone. This concept is similar to how mathematical formulas reveal patterns and truths in numbers. Just as an equation can predict or explain, a poetic constraint can reveal hidden beauty within the limits of form. Through the deliberate use of formulas, OuLiPo turned writing into both an experiment and an art.

One of the group’s most famous inventions is the N+7 method, also known as S+7. This formula involves taking an existing poem and replacing each noun (or substantive) with the seventh noun following it in a dictionary. The method sounds simple, yet it produces surprising and sometimes humorous results. The goal is not necessarily to create a poem that makes perfect sense, but to explore how meaning shifts when vocabulary is manipulated by rule rather than choice. The new poem becomes a discovery—an unexpected rearrangement of thought and sound.

For example, consider the classic nursery rhyme “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” Using the N+7 method, Sarah Royal transforms it into:

“Row, Row, Row your Bobble gently down the Street, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, light is but a dredge.”

Here, the familiar song becomes something entirely new. The word “boat” becomes “bobble,” a playful substitution that changes both the imagery and tone. The simple act of moving seven nouns forward in a dictionary turns the poem from a soothing children’s tune into a surreal and whimsical piece of constrained literature. It demonstrates how structure—rather than stifling imagination—can lead to delightfully unpredictable creativity.

What makes this transformation significant is not just the humor or strangeness of the result, but what it reveals about language itself. By following a strict rule, the poet allows chance and pattern to work together. The reader is reminded that words have networks of meaning extending beyond their usual contexts. This type of writing forces both writer and reader to see language as a living system—dynamic, mathematical, and full of potential combinations waiting to be uncovered.

The OuLiPo movement continues to influence writers and artists around the world. Its emphasis on potential literature—writing that could exist within a rule-based framework—invites experimentation across genres and forms. From lipograms (writing that avoids a specific letter) to Fibonacci poems and mathematical word sequences, OuLiPo’s legacy shows that creativity thrives under thoughtful constraint.

OuLiPo’s work—and the N+7 example—remind us that mathematics and poetry share more than one might think. Both seek patterns in chaos. Both aim to express truth through precision and structure. When a poet applies a mathematical formula to words, something new happens, logic and emotion intersect. Sarah Royal’s playful reimagining of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” illustrates how this intersection can yield poetry that is at once analytical and imaginative, calculated and free. Through OuLiPo’s mathematical lens, literature becomes not a fixed form, but an infinite experiment—proving that even in rules and formulas, there is room for endless possibility.